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NEW READER? START HERE!

I'm Laura, an island girl, a Marine wife,
a wanderluster, an aspiring writer and book lover. I left my heart in Okinawa, Japan in 2018 and I'm overjoyed to be back on island as of January 2022!

Little Island Takara is where I document our local adventures, our international travels, and all the beautiful places in between. Thanks for visiting!

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Currently stationed in: Okinawa, Japan

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@ a vendor pop-up near you!!

I keep forgetting to share my pop-up schedule but I added a new event yesterday. May or may not sign up for more… I will reupload with new dates if I do 🥰!

1 month ago

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1/6

H I G A S H I Y A M A ~ P T 4️⃣

Phew! We finally made it to the last stop in Higashiyama 😅🙌🏼 the Yasaka Kōshin-dō Temple.

You may have peeked at the entrance really quick in my vlog reel and that’s because I walked past it at 7am when I arrived to the area, but it opens at 9am so I had to make sure I circled back before leaving.

This was my second visit to this tiny but memorable temple, I just didn’t love the photos I took of this highly Instagrammable temple in my previous visit, so a re-do was a must!

Yasaka Kōshin-do is dedicated to Shomen Kongo, a guardian warrior, and to the Sanzaru (the three wise monkeys) 🙉🙈🙊! It’s a unique temple as it represents the faith Koshin (named after Shomen Kongo’s nickname), that incorporates Taoism, Shintoism and Buddhism. Koshin-san is known for helping those who strive to be good and punishing those who are bad.

There is a hut with a statue of Koshin-san in the middle of the temple that is surrounded by kukurizaru, bright and colorful balls of fabric that represent the good faith monkeys, with their hands and feet bound.

According to Taoism in order for a wish to be granted one must give one of their desires to Koshin-san. Instead of the traditional ema (wooden tablets) you find at temples and shrines around Japan, at Yasaka Kōshin-dō you can write down one of your desires in a kukurizaru and leave it at the temple in the hope Koshin-san grants your wish.

In the back of the temple there are carvings of the “hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil” monkeys with a wall of more intricate kukurizarus.

I may have finished sharing my time at the Higashiyama District… but there’s still the last stop of the day!! I haven’t edited those photos 😂 so we’ll see when I post them! Swipe all the way to the end to see how busy the streets were at 2pm 😵‍💫.

🌸

✨

🌸

✨

#solotravel #japantravel #japansolotravel #kyoto #kyotojapan #springinjapan #higashiyama #yasakakoshindo #kimono #japantemple

•

Follow

H I G A S H I Y A M A ~ P T 4️⃣

Phew! We finally made it to the last stop in Higashiyama 😅🙌🏼 the Yasaka Kōshin-dō Temple.

You may have peeked at the entrance really quick in my vlog reel and that’s because I walked past it at 7am when I arrived to the area, but it opens at 9am so I had to make sure I circled back before leaving.

This was my second visit to this tiny but memorable temple, I just didn’t love the photos I took of this highly Instagrammable temple in my previous visit, so a re-do was a must!

Yasaka Kōshin-do is dedicated to Shomen Kongo, a guardian warrior, and to the Sanzaru (the three wise monkeys) 🙉🙈🙊! It’s a unique temple as it represents the faith Koshin (named after Shomen Kongo’s nickname), that incorporates Taoism, Shintoism and Buddhism. Koshin-san is known for helping those who strive to be good and punishing those who are bad.

There is a hut with a statue of Koshin-san in the middle of the temple that is surrounded by kukurizaru, bright and colorful balls of fabric that represent the good faith monkeys, with their hands and feet bound.

According to Taoism in order for a wish to be granted one must give one of their desires to Koshin-san. Instead of the traditional ema (wooden tablets) you find at temples and shrines around Japan, at Yasaka Kōshin-dō you can write down one of your desires in a kukurizaru and leave it at the temple in the hope Koshin-san grants your wish.

In the back of the temple there are carvings of the “hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil” monkeys with a wall of more intricate kukurizarus.

I may have finished sharing my time at the Higashiyama District… but there’s still the last stop of the day!! I haven’t edited those photos 😂 so we’ll see when I post them! Swipe all the way to the end to see how busy the streets were at 2pm 😵‍💫.

🌸

✨

🌸

✨

#solotravel #japantravel #japansolotravel #kyoto #kyotojapan #springinjapan #higashiyama #yasakakoshindo #kimono #japantemple

5 months ago

View on Instagram |

2/6

Day 1: Kyoto - a vlog 🌸🍃✨

🚖 Higashiyama District
📍Ichinenzaka Street
📍Yasaka Pagoda
📍Ninenzaka Street
📍Starbucks Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya
📍Ryōzen Kannon Temple
📍Sannenzaka Street
📍Kiyomizudera Temple
📍Yasaka Kōshin-dō Temple
🚍 Gion District
📍Yasaka Shrine
📍#hanami at Maruyama Park

🌸

✨

🌸

✨

#solotravel #japantravel #japansolotravel #kyoto #kyotojapan #springinjapan #higashiyama #ryozenkannon #cherryblossomseasonjapan

•

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Day 1: Kyoto – a vlog 🌸🍃✨

🚖 Higashiyama District
📍Ichinenzaka Street
📍Yasaka Pagoda
📍Ninenzaka Street
📍Starbucks Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya
📍Ryōzen Kannon Temple
📍Sannenzaka Street
📍Kiyomizudera Temple
📍Yasaka Kōshin-dō Temple
🚍 Gion District
📍Yasaka Shrine
📍#hanami at Maruyama Park

🌸

✨

🌸

✨

#solotravel #japantravel #japansolotravel #kyoto #kyotojapan #springinjapan #higashiyama #ryozenkannon #cherryblossomseasonjapan

5 months ago

View on Instagram |

3/6

H I G A S H I Y A M A ~ PT 3️⃣

Don’t ask me why I am completely overposting this area but the photos turned out so cute that I felt compelled to say “f*#% it” and post ‘em all 😏. Here are some favorite snapshots from a few pottery and souvenir shops I walked through, swipe all the way to the end to see the mug I snatched as a souvenir! 💙🤎

I actually took these before heading up to Kiyomizudera Temple but the IG feed aesthetic forced me to post those before ✌🏼😂 #doitforthegram!! I have one more post coming from a small temple and we can finally move to the last stop of the day, Yasaka Shrine!! 😮‍💨

I’d love to hear what your favorite shot is! Mine is definitely #4 from outside the pottery store 😍. I don’t think I could ever get tired of capturing vignettes around Japan 😭 #ineverwanttoleave

•

Follow

H I G A S H I Y A M A ~ PT 3️⃣

Don’t ask me why I am completely overposting this area but the photos turned out so cute that I felt compelled to say “f*#% it” and post ‘em all 😏. Here are some favorite snapshots from a few pottery and souvenir shops I walked through, swipe all the way to the end to see the mug I snatched as a souvenir! 💙🤎

I actually took these before heading up to Kiyomizudera Temple but the IG feed aesthetic forced me to post those before ✌🏼😂 #doitforthegram!! I have one more post coming from a small temple and we can finally move to the last stop of the day, Yasaka Shrine!! 😮‍💨

I’d love to hear what your favorite shot is! Mine is definitely #4 from outside the pottery store 😍. I don’t think I could ever get tired of capturing vignettes around Japan 😭 #ineverwanttoleave

6 months ago

View on Instagram |

4/6

K I Y O M I Z U D E R A

After walking around the streets of Higashiyama, grabbing coffee and a sandwich at Starbucks and doing a little window shopping (will post these pics next) I headed to Kiyomizudera Temple. This was my 3rd (?) time visiting 😅 but the first time I was able to experience all of it, as the main hall had been under construction the back in 2018!

This Buddhist temple was founded in 780 (Japanese history always blows my mind 🤯) on the site of a waterfall, the name literally translates to “pure water temple”. The temple stands on a hill and offers a great view of the city!

There are a few different shrines and other structures around the grounds like—Jishu Shrine dedicated to the deity of love and matchmaking, the Otowa Waterfall with 3 separate streams people drink water from each said to have it’s own benefit (longevity, success in school & fortunate live life), and the Koyasu Pagoda (pictured), a place to visit to pray for easy and safe childbirth. Since I have other photos from the previous visits to the temple, I mainly focused on the spaces covered in flowers.

There were so many beautiful 🌸 cherry blossom trees and other little flowers in bloom when I visited that I couldn’t resist spending more time than I originally planned 🫶🏼!!

🌸

✨

🌸

✨

#solotravel #japantravel #japansolotravel #kyoto #kyotojapan #springinjapan #kiyomizuderatemple #kiyomizutemple #cherryblossomseasonjapan

•

Follow

K I Y O M I Z U D E R A

After walking around the streets of Higashiyama, grabbing coffee and a sandwich at Starbucks and doing a little window shopping (will post these pics next) I headed to Kiyomizudera Temple. This was my 3rd (?) time visiting 😅 but the first time I was able to experience all of it, as the main hall had been under construction the back in 2018!

This Buddhist temple was founded in 780 (Japanese history always blows my mind 🤯) on the site of a waterfall, the name literally translates to “pure water temple”. The temple stands on a hill and offers a great view of the city!

There are a few different shrines and other structures around the grounds like—Jishu Shrine dedicated to the deity of love and matchmaking, the Otowa Waterfall with 3 separate streams people drink water from each said to have it’s own benefit (longevity, success in school & fortunate live life), and the Koyasu Pagoda (pictured), a place to visit to pray for easy and safe childbirth. Since I have other photos from the previous visits to the temple, I mainly focused on the spaces covered in flowers.

There were so many beautiful 🌸 cherry blossom trees and other little flowers in bloom when I visited that I couldn’t resist spending more time than I originally planned 🫶🏼!!

🌸

✨

🌸

✨

#solotravel #japantravel #japansolotravel #kyoto #kyotojapan #springinjapan #kiyomizuderatemple #kiyomizutemple #cherryblossomseasonjapan

6 months ago

View on Instagram |

5/6

The most unexpected surprise 💙💜💗🧡

What a spectacular sunset!! The sun peaked out for a few minutes amidst dark rain clouds and the horizon!! 🌈✨

*sit back and enjoy a little 60 second escape*

#okilivingmag

•

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The most unexpected surprise 💙💜💗🧡

What a spectacular sunset!! The sun peaked out for a few minutes amidst dark rain clouds and the horizon!! 🌈✨

*sit back and enjoy a little 60 second escape*

#okilivingmag

7 months ago

View on Instagram |

6/6